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CHAPTER¡¡XVI
WRESTING¡¡A¡¡PRIZE¡¡FROM¡¡NATURE'S¡¡HAND
After¡¡melting¡¡down¡¡the¡¡pig¡iron¡¡as¡¡quickly¡¡as¡¡possible£»¡¡which¡¡took¡¡me¡¡thirty¡¡minutes£»¡¡there¡¡was¡¡a¡¡pause¡¡in¡¡which¡¡I¡¡had¡¡time¡¡to¡¡wipe¡¡the¡¡back¡¡of¡¡my¡¡hand¡¡on¡¡the¡¡dryest¡¡part¡¡of¡¡my¡¡clothing¡¡£¨if¡¡any¡¡spot¡¡was¡¡still¡¡dry£©¡¡and¡¡with¡¡my¡¡sweat¡¡cap¡¡wipe¡¡the¡¡sweat¡¡and¡¡soot¡¡out¡¡of¡¡my¡¡eyes¡£¡¡For¡¡the¡¡next¡¡seven¡¡minutes¡¡I¡¡¡¨thickened¡¡the¡¡heat¡¡up¡¨¡¡by¡¡adding¡¡iron¡¡oxide¡¡to¡¡the¡¡bath¡£¡¡This¡¡was¡¡in¡¡the¡¡form¡¡of¡¡roll¡¡scale¡£¡¡The¡¡furnace¡¡continued¡¡in¡¡full¡¡blast¡¡till¡¡that¡¡was¡¡melted¡£¡¡The¡¡liquid¡¡metal¡¡in¡¡the¡¡hearth¡¡is¡¡called¡¡slag¡£¡¡The¡¡iron¡¡oxide¡¡is¡¡put¡¡in¡¡it¡¡to¡¡make¡¡it¡¡more¡¡basic¡¡for¡¡the¡¡chemical¡¡reaction¡¡that¡¡is¡¡to¡¡take¡¡place¡£¡¡Adding¡¡the¡¡roll¡¡scale¡¡had¡¡cooled¡¡the¡¡charge£»¡¡and¡¡it¡¡was¡¡thick¡¡like¡¡hoecake¡¡batter¡£¡¡I¡¡now¡¡thoroughly¡¡mixed¡¡it¡¡with¡¡a¡¡rabble¡¡which¡¡is¡¡like¡¡a¡¡long¡¡iron¡¡hoe¡£
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More¡¡and¡¡more¡¡of¡¡the¡¡carbon¡¡gas¡¡comes¡¡out¡¡of¡¡the¡¡puddle£»¡¡and¡¡as¡¡it¡¡bubbles¡¡out¡¡the¡¡charge¡¡is¡¡agitated¡¡by¡¡its¡¡escape¡¡and¡¡the¡¡¡¨boil¡¨¡¡is¡¡in¡¡progress¡£¡¡It¡¡is¡¡not¡¡real¡¡boiling¡¡like¡¡the¡¡boiling¡¡of¡¡a¡¡teakettle¡£¡¡When¡¡a¡¡teakettle¡¡boils¡¡the¡¡water¡¡turns¡¡to¡¡bubbles¡¡of¡¡vapor¡¡and¡¡goes¡¡up¡¡in¡¡the¡¡air¡¡to¡¡turn¡¡to¡¡water¡¡again¡¡when¡¡it¡¡gets¡¡cold¡£¡¡But¡¡in¡¡the¡¡boiling¡¡iron¡¡puddle¡¡a¡¡chemical¡¡change¡¡is¡¡taking¡¡place¡£¡¡The¡¡iron¡¡is¡¡not¡¡going¡¡up¡¡in¡¡vapor¡£¡¡The¡¡carbon¡¡and¡¡the¡¡oxygen¡¡are¡£¡¡This¡¡formation¡¡of¡¡gas¡¡in¡¡the¡¡molten¡¡puddle¡¡causes¡¡the¡¡whole¡¡charge¡¡to¡¡boil¡¡up¡¡like¡¡an¡¡ice¡cream¡¡soda¡£¡¡The¡¡slag¡¡overflows¡£¡¡Redder¡¡than¡¡strawberry¡¡syrup¡¡and¡¡as¡¡hot¡¡as¡¡the¡¡fiery¡¡lake¡¡in¡¡Hades¡¡it¡¡flows¡¡over¡¡the¡¡rim¡¡of¡¡the¡¡hearth¡¡and¡¡out¡¡through¡¡the¡¡slag¡hole¡£¡¡My¡¡helper¡¡has¡¡pushed¡¡up¡¡a¡¡buggy¡¡there¡¡to¡¡receive¡¡it¡£¡¡More¡¡than¡¡an¡¡eighth¡¡and¡¡sometimes¡¡a¡¡quarter¡¡of¡¡the¡¡weight¡¡of¡¡the¡¡pig¡iron¡¡flows¡¡off¡¡in¡¡slag¡¡and¡¡is¡¡carted¡¡away¡£
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CHAPTER¡¡XVII
MAN¡¡IS¡¡IRON¡¡TOO
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